DIY Poop Hammock
A poop hammock is a style of dropping board that collects manure under the roosting bars in your chicken coop. This simple design makes it easier to keep your chicken coop clean.
Cost: $20 (or free)
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Equipment
- drill
- staple gun
- utility knife
Ingredients
- 1 or 2 2x4' boards
- screws
- tarp or waterproof material
- zip ties when installing on wire coop
- cordage when installing on wire coop
Instructions
Installation Instructions for a Wooden Chicken Coop
- Measure the length of your roosting bars. Cut two 2x4" to size.
- Attach the top board to the back wall of your coop at about the same height as your top roosting bar.
- Attach a board at the bottom. It needs to extend about 8 to 10 inches beyond the roosting bar to ensure that all manure lands on the hammock.
- Measure and cut the hammock fabric. I used recycled grain sacks. First, remove all stitching and cut it flat. Once flat, I sew the bags together with my sewing machine, making a large tarp the size needed. The poop hammock needs to be as long as the roosts and have sufficient width to reach the bottom board, with an extra 10 to 12" of fabric to create a hammock effect. Optional: I made a two-layered system. To add additional support to my poop hammock, I used an old tarp beneath my grain sack liner. Since the chickens walk on it, I want it to be strong enough to hold them. The liner underneath doesn't need replacing; however, the top liner may need replacing as it wears. Mine lasted over two years.
- Attach the top of the poop hammock to the board you installed. You can staple it or use a thin board, such as a 1x2", to sandwich the poop hammock hem between the two boards.
- Take the bottom length of your poop hammock and fold over the bottom board so that the board is covered. Staple it to the bottom. This creates a seamless surface that allows you to scrape the manure into your bucket. Please note: The hammock should have a slight slope; don't pull it tight.
Installation Instructions for a Wire Chicken Coop
- Measure the length of your roosting bars. Cut one 2x4" to size.
- Attach a board at the bottom. It needs to extend about 8 to 10 inches beyond the roosting bar to ensure that all manure lands on the hammock.
- Measure and cut the hammock fabric. I used recycled grain sacks. First, remove all stitching and cut it flat. Once flat, I sew the bags together with my sewing machine, making a large tarp the size needed. The poop hammock needs to be as long as the roosts and have sufficient width to reach the bottom board, with an extra 10 to 12" of fabric to create a hammock effect. Optional: I made a two-layered system. To add additional support to my poop hammock, I used an old tarp beneath my grain sack liner. Since the chickens walk on it, I want it to be strong enough to hold them. The liner underneath doesn't need replacing; however, the top liner may need replacing as it wears. Mine lasted over two years.
- To make it easier to attach the top of the poop hammock to the wire, I sewed a pocket at the top edge of the fabric. Think of it like a curtain, except the pocket will be threaded with cordage instead of a rod. I used a length of 550 cord about 3 feet longer than the finished hammock. As I sewed the pocket, I laid the cordage in the pocket, being careful not to sew through the cordage itself. Once the pocket was finished, the cord would slide freely through the hem, giving me a removable cord that I used to secure the top of the hammock to the wire.
- Use the cordage and attach the top of the poop hammock to the wire at about the same height as the top roosting bar. Secure it with zip ties. I cut small slits through the poop hammock, underneath the cordage in the pocket, so the zip tie would be wrapped around the cordage, securing the poop hammock to the wire wall.
- Take the bottom length of your poop hammock and fold over the bottom board so that the board is covered. Staple it to the bottom. This creates a seamless surface that allows you to scrape the manure into your bucket. Please note: The hammock should have a slight slope; don't pull it tight.
Video
